By Staff
August 14, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
As obvious as this might sound it is the people in a community that are the building blocks that growth, change and acceptance are built upon.
Building relations with people of different faiths and beliefs is the goal of Burlington’s first inter-faith multicultural festival to be held Saturday, August 19 at Central Park Bandshell from noon to 4 p.m.
Through foods from different cultures, dance, games, singing and entertainment, the festival will offer Burlington and area residents the opportunity to meet people who practice different faiths while learning their customs and beliefs.
Halton Mosque
“Among faith leaders in our community this dialogue is already there. This festival is being held to widen this discussion to the broader community,” said Abdullah Hatia, Imam for the Halton Mosque.
Rev. Stuart Pike, Rector at St. Luke’s Anglican Church, agrees, calling the festival a “breaking-the-ice celebration.”
There will be no preaching at this informal, fun-filled event which will run from noon to 4 p.m. on New Street at Drury Lane. In the event of rain, the festival will move inside Central Arena.
A broad cross section of faiths as well as community groups will be represented.
The One Burlington Festival builds on the candlelight vigil organized by Rory Nisan last February at Burlington’s City Hall the day after the Quebec City Mosque shooting to mourn the victims and demonstrate solidarity in Burlington and Halton. “Multiculturalism, inclusion and interfaith understanding cannot be taken for granted. We have to nurture them as one community,” said Nisan.
Wellington Square United Church
“The key concept (of the inter-faith festival) is that all faiths are responsible for the dignity of the other,” added Pike. Hatia added that its central message is to celebrate our differences. “Isn’t it cool that we live in Canada and we’ve got this rich diversity to celebrate in culture and the arts.”
Hatia has personally experienced the richness of this diversity through his friendship with Rev. Dr. Orville James, Minister of Wellington Square United Church.
They first met a few years ago after Hatia spoke at the YMCA’s Peace Medal Breakfast. Their friendship blossomed as they worked to resettle Syrian refugees into Burlington. Since then, each has come to personally know other members of their individual faiths.
St Luke’s Anglican church
“It’s a beautiful thing,” Hatia said. “Sometimes, over coffee, we have deep discussions, with respect and the goal of understanding one another’s beliefs. To get to that point, you have to have a lot of trust. It is a close relationship.
This is also the goal of the inter-faith festival. It is just the beginning of people getting to know one another.”
Rory Nisan, Lead Organizer for the One Burlington Festival can be reached at: 905-464-7195, rnisan@gmail.com
